The invention relates to a conveyor for transporting parcel goods and the like over a track.
Such conveyors are known in practice in various embodiments thereof. They are used for the horizontal or vertical transport of goods or as buffers in a production process. When they are used for transporting certain types of goods, problems may arise due to the presence of gaps between the rigid supporting elements, either constantly or temporarily when moving through a horizontal or vertical bend. When small goods or goods having projecting parts are transported, these goods may fall through the gaps or get wedged therein. Opening or closing gaps may furthermore constitute a safety problem, because a person""s fingers may get wedged between the supporting elements.
The object of the invention is to provide a conveyor of the type referred to above, wherein the above-described problem has been overcome in an effective manner.
In order to accomplish that objective, the conveyor according to the invention is characterized in that movable cover flaps projecting from the supporting elements in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor are formed on at least a number of the supporting elements, wherein the length dimension of the flaps is such that each is capable of covering at least one gap to an adjacent supporting element.
These features according to the invention provide a closed transport surface, which prevents goods or projecting parts thereof from finding their way into the gaps between the supporting elements. Nor is it possible any more to stick one""s fingers between the supporting elements. Because the cover flaps are movable, there will be no problems with projecting cover flaps when the belt passes from the transport portion to the return portion, which problems might interfere with the correct transfer or receipt of goods to or from other conveyors.
According to a first embodiment of the invention it is preferred to use cover flaps of a flexible material. Such cover flaps are suited to remain in abutment with the respective supporting elements at the location of the return pulleys.
When the cover flaps are separate parts which are attached to the supporting elements, the material of the cover flaps can be optimally selected to suit the function to be performed.
Thus, the supporting elements may be provided with an anti-slip profile, which is particularly favorable in the case of conveyors which must bridge a vertical distance and consequently will comprise a sloping transport portion. In that case the anti-slip profile can prevent the goods being transported from moving with respect to the conveyor belt.
In particular, in this embodiment provided with the anti-slip profile it is advantageous if each cover flap comprises a thin portion having a substantially smooth surface and a thicker portion provided with the anti-slip profile, wherein the thinner portion is present at least at the location of the supporting element to which the cover flap is attached and the thicker portion is present outside the supporting element, and wherein the thicker portion preferably overlaps at least part of the thinner portion of the cover flap of the adjacent supporting element.
In this manner the cover flaps are arranged in an overlapping relationship indeed, but because thinner portions are used, the difference in height at the free end of the cover flaps will remain minimal.
The shape of the cover flaps can be selected individually for each case, partially in dependence on the bends through which the conveyor belt must move. If the conveyor is arranged for moving through a bend curving around a vertically extending axis, it is advantageous if the width of the thinner and the thicker portions of each cover flap varies in longitudinal direction to accommodate the pivoting movement of the supporting elements relative to each other.
In another variant of the invention, the cover flaps are attached to the adjacent supporting elements, while the cover flaps comprise a loop-shaped fold between the adjacent supporting elements, and while the cover flaps can continue past at least a number of supporting elements.
In this manner an entirely closed transport surface is obtained in that the cover flaps are sealingly attached to adjacent supporting elements. The loop-shaped folds ensure that the mutual distance between the supporting elements can increase, for example at the location of end pulleys or on the outside of a bend in the conveyor track. Additionally or alternatively, the cover flaps may be elastic to offset differences in the distance between the adjacent supporting elements.
It is advantageous if the cover flaps are attached to the underside of all the supporting elements, preferably covering substantially the entire underside of the supporting elements.
This aspect makes it possible for the flaps to function as a sliding surface of the supporting elements. The arrangement of the cover flaps between the supporting elements and the guides positioned thereunder has a sound-damping effect, and when the material of the cover flaps is suitably selected, it is also possible to select a cheaper material for the guides, for example an inexpensive plastic material or steel.
The two sides of the cover flaps may each be formed with a different type of surface, such that the upwardly facing side of the cover flaps on the upper side of the supporting elements is provided with an anti-slip profile and the downwardly facing side of the cover flaps on the lower side of the supporting elements is provided with a surface having a low coefficient of friction.
In a further embodiment according to the invention, the flaps comprise rigid parts which are pivotally connected to each other about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to the axis of the supporting elements.
The invention furthermore relates to a conveyor belt for use in a conveyor and to supporting elements for forming the conveyor belt.
The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to the drawings, which show embodiments of the conveyor according to the invention.